Rachel Moran of Oceanside takes a picture of Billy Farr of Long Beach among the wreckage of the boardwalk in Long Beach, N.Y., on Friday. / Bruce Bennett, Getty Images

by Kevin McCoy, USA TODAY

by Kevin McCoy, USA TODAY

New York State will seek at least $30 billion from the federal government to fund recovery from Superstorm Sandy, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday.

Such a request, combined with similarly large applications expected from New Jersey and other states, would likely make the devastating storm that struck two weeks ago the second most expensive in U.S.history.

The money would be used to repair and rebuild damaged bridges, tunnels, rail and subway lines, help small businesses and aid New Yorkers struggling to rebuild their homes, said Cuomo.

"I think, on the merits, this is a very clear case for the State of New York," Cuomo said during a Monday news briefing.

In part, the federal funding would have to come from a special appropriation through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, he said. That would require congressional approval, which he said would probably be considered on a regional basis on behalf of all the states battered by the storm.

"This is quite common, and it has been done in other areas that were not nearly as affected as New York," said Cuomo.

The plan, first reported by The New York Times, is based on an estimated $50 billion in storm damages.

Separately, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced a $500 million emergency plan to make critical repairs to public schools and public hospitals damaged by the storm. The spending, which the City Council is likely to approve Tuesday, is in addition to more than $134 million in emergency funding already approved.

Comptroller John C. Liu said that the city's finances "are secure enough to withstand this need" but that "we will work to recover these funds from FEMA."

Sandy left more than 100 people dead across several states, most of them in New York and neighboring New Jersey.

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